TECHNOLOGY last night confirmed that Liverpool's Champions League winner should NOT have stood - despite the linesman insisting it was "100 per cent" correct.

Hundreds of fans bombarded Mirror Sport's switchboard and radio station phone-ins yesterday to complain about ITV's poorly positioned cameras - claiming Sky TV would have been better placed to clear up the storm with their saturation coverage.

The satellite channel duly obliged by releasing a series of Virtual Replay images which prove that the goal that beat Chelsea should not have been allowed as the whole of the ball did not cross the line. The Virtual Replay system wasdeveloped from Israeli missile

technology. All pitch measurements, including the pitch markings and the width of the goal, are fed into the programme.

The computer then creates a virtual pitch through a given camera angle and allows a view of incidents from an infinite number of positions.

Slovakian linesman Roman Slysko sparked the controversy at Anfield on Tuesday by allowing Luis Garcia's fourth-minute goal to stand - even though his vision was obscured by Chelsea defender William Gallas.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech said last night: "The linesman was standing in such a position that he simply could not see the ball as Gallas blocked it with his body.''

But Slysko, 31, hit back: "I believe that my decision was correct. My first feeling, and which I remain convinced of, is that it was a goal.

"I'm 100 per cent convinced that it was a goal. It was a hard situation and in that kind of situation a person only has a few 100ths of a second to react.

"From my information as well I understand that TV replays have also not been able to prove it was not a goal. I saw it clearly. In my view I was adequately positioned for that situation.

"There will always be these kind of situations in football matches everywhere."

The debate has been intensified by the insistence that even if the goal had not been given Cech should have sent off and a penalty awarded.

Striker Milan Baros, who was upended by Cech, said: "He flew at me, I think he even did not hit the ball.''

Cech hit back: "I just occupied the space. Milan hit the ball and then he jumped into me. In my opinion it could not be a penalty.''

The controversy also has revived calls for new goal- line technology to be brought in. The first steps in that direction will be used in the FIFA under-17 World Youth Championships in Peru in September.

Cech added: "Everybody is opposing the video, but a video consultation would not take as long as two minutes. During one goal-kick more time is wasted.''

Sports giants adidas have developed a 'smartball' which has electronic sensors in it paired up to the goal-line which would be able to tell whether the ball had crossed the line.